The Niners selected Buckner seventh overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. And while he took a while to get acclimated to life at the NFL level, the former Oregon Duck managed to come on strong late in the season and was one of the few bright spots the 49ers had in an otherwise forgettable year.

Buckner, who paired up with former Oregon teammate Arik Armstead for the first half of the year, finished with 73 tackles on the year, which ranked second among all defensive tackles.

Additionally, Buckner was tied for the team lead in sacks (six), which also ranked fourth among all NFL rookies.